Two thumbs up, both in your eyes

Herself and I saw “The Wrestler” this afternoon, and it’s a must-see for Mickey Rourke fans. We watched “Barfly” last night to limber up for it, but “Requiem for a Heavyweight” might have been better training, or maybe “Raging Bull,” the theme being poor choices and the consequences thereof. You certainly won’t recognize the pretty-boy Rourke of “Diner” in this one, although there are brief glimpses of his earlier face among the ruins.

The screenplay cuts a few corners, especially as regards Randy “The Ram” Robinson’s estranged daughter and the finale, but it’s Rourke’s remarkably restrained performance as an elder statesman of pro wrestling fallen on hard times that holds your interest.

Director Darren Aronofsky told Terry Gross on “Fresh Air” that he didn’t think he got everything Rourke had to give, but I’m not so certain. And I’ve dated a stripper and met a couple of pro wrestlers — to say nothing of spending way too many dope-addled hours in high school watching Mad Dog and Butcher Vachon, Verne Gagne and Andre the Giant locked in combat on “All Star Wrestling” — so naturally that makes me an expert.

If you need any further encouragement, cinematographer Maryse Alberti also shot “Gonzo” and “Crumb,” documentaries about Hunter S. Thompson and Robert Crumb, respectively. Go spend some money, get the economy back on its feet, you lazy sonsabitches. And don’t forget to buy plenty popcorn.

Late addendum: Herself says the Ram was a marvelously sympathetic unsympathetic character, and the addition of glasses and a hearing aid when not in the ring made her want to weep for him. And speaking as the spouse of a free-lancer with no health insurance, she’d like to know how the hell he paid his medical tab.